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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Grants bring job opportunities to teens, Vancouver

Two recent area grant announcements are tied to potential job opportunities in Oregon and southwest Washington.

For teens:The Linn County Board of Commissioners' First-Time Employment Youth Wage Program grant is designed to involve those ages 14 to 19 in the workforce. The program helps businesses with 35 employees or less to hire young people who have not previously held a job. The program reimburses employers $2.00 per hour for qualified youth workers from May 2 to September 30, with a maximum reimbursement of $1,000 per hire or $3,000 total. Read more in the full article from the Albany Democrat-Herald.

For Vancouver and Oregon:The Port of Vancouver received a $15-million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation high speed rail program. The award will be used to improve freight movement and reduce congestion; hopes are that rail volume at the port will triple in coming years. Upon completion, the project may attract more than $400 million in private investment, and 1,000 to 2,000 full-time jobs.

Oregon also received $1.5 million from the Department of Transportation to conduct an analysis of passenger trains in Eugene, with the goal of increasing capacity for passenger and freight rail service. Get more details from the Portland Business Journal report.

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